Those supposedly in the know inside the White House were shocked at the news of Nikki Haley’s sudden resignation this morning and even more so with the lack of explanation. Haley was seen as one the few remaining “moderates,” if there is such a thing in the Trump administration, and her departure may be as simple as she felt marginalized by the hardliners.
Haley had an increasingly diminished role as Pompeo filled the Tillerson vacuum, Bolton asserted himself on UN issues, and the US began withdrawing from key UN institutions/programs, chipping away at her clout
— John Hudson (@John_Hudson) October 9, 2018
Or it could be politics, as some see a possible scenario where Senator Lindsey Graham becomes Attorney General and Haley would return to South Carolina to be in contention for his seat.
Lindsey Graham is not interested in a Cabinet spot in the same sense that I'm not interested in eating tacos for lunch, which is to say I'm about to get myself some tasty tacos. https://t.co/pFiFDAOPbw
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) October 9, 2018
But there’s also the little problem of private planes. Yet another member of the Trump administration is being questioned over travel. McClatchy DC is reporting that a watchdog group wants an investigation into the use of private jets by Haley that were owned by South Carolina businessmen.
“The group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, says Haley undervalued the flights by tens of thousands of dollars on her annual financial disclosure form required of federal officials.”
And then there’s this…
BREAKING: Nikki Haley has up to $1 million in debt as she steps down as U.N. ambassador
Story: https://t.co/qUFDuI352Y pic.twitter.com/4wpOVpJG7X
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) October 9, 2018
Haley’s resignation continues the record-setting Trump administration turnover. As the New York Times notes, it’s unprecedented.
Following Nikki Haley's resignation, here's a look at the turnover in the Trump administration — so far https://t.co/AXEwrkkygR
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 9, 2018